National Republican., 1887-12-16
IN THE SENATE.
Prof. MnRnus swenson's Patent to be
Investigated.

Investigated.
Among the papers laid before the Senate
yesterday was communication from Ital-
Ian residents Of Washington, proposing to
present to the United States q marble bust
Of Garibaldi as "a link In the chain Of sym
pa,hy which all free men feel for the cham.
pioDs OF liberty and republican govern
ment." Referred TO the committee on the
library.
Mr.. Dolph, from the committee on COM
merce, reported back bills to extend the
limits Of the port Of Portland as port OF
entry; TO amend the act OF 10th June, 1880,
Of duiiable goods, and to create port OF
delivery OF Port Angeles, inSthe district OF
Port Puget Sound. Placed on the calendar.
A resolution wac reported by Mr.. Pad
dock, from the committee on contingent
expenses, to pay to, the widow OF the late
Ben; Perley Poore sum equal TO six
months salary OF his position as clerk to the
Senate committee on printing ($l, 1907
Adopted.
Bills were introduced as follows:
BY Mr.. George To protect employees and
servants engaged in Interstate commerce,
and In the territories and District Of Colum
bia. ...,-.
BY Mr.. Hoar To extend the general land
and mining laws over the territory OF
Also, to facilitate the settlement and
develop the resources OF Alaska, and to
open an overland commercial route between
the United States, Asiatic Russia, and
japan.
Mr.. Plumb was taken up, directing the
Attorney General to investigate the Issue OF
q patent to Magnus Swenson, last October,
In connection with the manufacture OF
sugar from sorghum; and II invalid to CON
mence suit to have the patent Cancelled (the
point being that Mr.. Swenson was an EN-
ploye OF the agricultural department while
making the experiments out OF which the
patent resulted).
Mr.. Plumb hoped that the resolution
would be adopted, as the question Involved
was very important one. The resolution,
he eaid, did not imply any censure on the
commissioner OF agriculture, who had been
very Jealous and active In all matters re-
latipg to the development of the sorghum
sugar industry. e.
Mr.. Edmunds suggested that there were
two difficulties In the way Of the resolu,
tion. One was that this was the first time,
or one OF the first tim:s, that the Senate
had called upon the head OF q department
to do anything afflrmatlvely in regard to
any part Of the public business In some
cases the Secretary OF the Interior had been
requested to suspend some action pending
action on the subject by Congress. Questions
Of law were committed to the Attorney Gen
eral while acting under the direction of the
President. Another formidable difficulty
was (not In his own mind, but 10 the minds
OF some judges) whether the Attorney Gen.
oral had right to. bring suit to investi-
gate q patent unless by authority OF Con-
gress. He thought that the resolution
should be referred to the committee on
patents, and he made that motion.
After further discussion by Messrs.
Plumb, salisbury, Riddleberger, Call, Hoar,
Gray, Butler, Teller, George, Hawley,
Beck, and Sherman, the motion to refer was
rejected and the resolution adopted. 1t
reads:
Resoiped, That the Attorney General be re-
quested to investigate the issuance of letters
patent 10 Magnus Swenson OF date OF Oct. 10.
1887, and II, in his judgment the same is In
SON Of Information obtained from experiments
made by the government, and IL, In his judg.
ment. a suit can be maintained In the name OF
promptly to have the same Cancelled, or the
use OF the same by the said swenson, or any
one claiming under him, perpetually enioined.
Mr.. Butler offered resolution, which
was adopted, directing the judiciary COM
the present state Of the law the government
has the power, or the Attorney General OF
the United States the authority to institute
judicial proceedings to vacate patent for
an invention on any ground whatever.
Then Senate then took up the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Stewart last Monday to pro-
vide for the issue Of coin certificates to
circulate as money, and was addressed by
that senator In explanation and support Of
the bill. At the conclusion Of the senator's
remarks the bill was referred to the CON-
mittee on finance.
At $50, on motion of Mr.. Edmunds, the
Senate went into executive session, and
ten minutes later the doors were opened,
and the Senate adjourned until Monday.